Arnold Peter Møller
Encyclopedia
Arnold Peter Møller, commonly known as A. P. Møller, (October 2, 1876 Dragør
- June 12, 1965) was a Danish
shipping magnate, businessman who was the founder of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group
in 1904.
and his maternal grandfather Hans Jeppesen Davidsen was known as "the King of Dragør". The Møller family moved to Svendborg
on Funen
after having lost a power struggle against Anna's sisters and their husbands.
In 1904 A. P. Møller and his father founded Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg (Steamship Company Svendborg) with a capital of DKK
150,000, to take advantage of business opportunities created by the introduction of steam ships. A. P. Møller went on to found Dampskibsselskabet af 1912 (Steamship Company of 1912) to be free to operate his business as he chose. The two companies were merged as A.P. Moller-Maersk in 2003. A. P. Møller married American Chastine Mc-Kinney, with whom he had two sons, Arnold and Hans, and two daughters, Jane and Sally. Arnold, known as Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller
, would become the long-term successor of A. P. Møller.
The First World War was a very lucrative period for the shipping business, and A. P. Møller managed to take full advantage of the opportunities. After the war his company was the fourth biggest shipping company in Denmark. The company grew steadily in the interwar years and was the biggest in Denmark at the outbreak of the Second World War. Before the German invasion of Denmark in April 1940, A.P. Møller telegraphed his ships not to obey orders from the occupied Denmark. During the Occupation of Denmark
from 1940 to 1945, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller ran a substantial part of the company from the United States. But the family lost a great deal of money because the US government would not pay full compensation for the use of their ships during the war.
A. P. Møller was also involved in business ventures outside the shipping industry. He secured a contract on drilling oil in the Danish part of the North Sea
in 1962. In 1964, Møller joined merchant Hermann Salling in a 50-50 ownership of the retail chain Dansk Supermarked. This chain went on to become the biggest retail company in Denmark. On A.P. Møller's death in 1965, his son Arnold Mc-Kinney Møller succeeded him as chairman and CEO of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group.
Dragør
Dragør Kommune is a municipality in Copenhagen County on the southern coast of the island of Amager just east of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 18 km², and has a total population of 13,411...
- June 12, 1965) was a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
shipping magnate, businessman who was the founder of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group
A.P. Moller-Maersk Group
A.P. Moller – Maersk Group , also known as Maersk , is a Danish business conglomerate. A.P. Moller – Maersk Group has activities in a variety of business sectors, primarily within the transportation and energy sectors. It is the largest container ship operator and supply vessel operator in the...
in 1904.
Biography
A. P. Møller was the son of captain Peter Mærsk Møller and Anna Hans Jeppesen. His mother came from a well known shipping dynasty in DragørDragør
Dragør Kommune is a municipality in Copenhagen County on the southern coast of the island of Amager just east of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 18 km², and has a total population of 13,411...
and his maternal grandfather Hans Jeppesen Davidsen was known as "the King of Dragør". The Møller family moved to Svendborg
Svendborg
Svendborg is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark. The town is in Svendborg municipality . Svendborg is the second-largest city on Funen and has a population of 27,009 ....
on Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
after having lost a power struggle against Anna's sisters and their husbands.
In 1904 A. P. Møller and his father founded Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg (Steamship Company Svendborg) with a capital of DKK
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
150,000, to take advantage of business opportunities created by the introduction of steam ships. A. P. Møller went on to found Dampskibsselskabet af 1912 (Steamship Company of 1912) to be free to operate his business as he chose. The two companies were merged as A.P. Moller-Maersk in 2003. A. P. Møller married American Chastine Mc-Kinney, with whom he had two sons, Arnold and Hans, and two daughters, Jane and Sally. Arnold, known as Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller
Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, is a Danish shipping magnate.-Personal life:Møller is the son of Arnold Peter Møller – founder of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group – and an American, Chastine Estelle Roberta McKinney. He was married to his high-school sweetheart Emma Neergaard Rasmussen from 1940...
, would become the long-term successor of A. P. Møller.
The First World War was a very lucrative period for the shipping business, and A. P. Møller managed to take full advantage of the opportunities. After the war his company was the fourth biggest shipping company in Denmark. The company grew steadily in the interwar years and was the biggest in Denmark at the outbreak of the Second World War. Before the German invasion of Denmark in April 1940, A.P. Møller telegraphed his ships not to obey orders from the occupied Denmark. During the Occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
from 1940 to 1945, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller ran a substantial part of the company from the United States. But the family lost a great deal of money because the US government would not pay full compensation for the use of their ships during the war.
A. P. Møller was also involved in business ventures outside the shipping industry. He secured a contract on drilling oil in the Danish part of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
in 1962. In 1964, Møller joined merchant Hermann Salling in a 50-50 ownership of the retail chain Dansk Supermarked. This chain went on to become the biggest retail company in Denmark. On A.P. Møller's death in 1965, his son Arnold Mc-Kinney Møller succeeded him as chairman and CEO of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group.